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we receive by asking. But having lost their minds, they assign to the king the things that belong to God, and they persuade the foolish king to agree and to ratify the things impiously requested. But the blessed Daniel, caring not the least for these impious laws, "Immediately," it says, "having entered into his house, with the windows open in his upper chambers toward Jerusalem, three times a day he knelt upon his knees, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he had done before." See how many things the account indicated at the same time, revealing the piety and the courage of the blessed Daniel. For first, it says, when Daniel knew that the decree was signed, "He went into his house," that is, having learned of the established law, and despising it greatly, he continued to do the exact opposite; then it also adds another thing, which clearly reveals his courage; "For the windows," it says, "were open." For he did not offer his prayers in secret, it says, but openly, and with everyone watching, not out of ambition, but out of contempt for the impiety of the law. Another thing is also added, signifying this courage of his; "For in his upper chambers." For not on the ground floor, but as if in some high place he offered prayers to God, being clearly visible to all, both by standing on high and by having the windows thrown open. "And he prayed," it says, "towards Jerusalem;" and he did this not only to provoke his accusers, but also to fulfill an ancient law. For Solomon, having built that temple and celebrating the festival of its dedication, prayed, invoking the divine grace, and supplicating that the temple be filled with it. To many other things he also added this: "And it shall be," it says, "if you deliver your people into the hand of their enemies, and their captors carry them captive into a land far off, or 81.1404 near, and they turn their hearts in the land where they were carried captive, and they make supplication to you in the land of their exile, saying: We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly, and they return to you with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies where you have carried them, and they pray to you toward the way of their land, which you have given to their fathers, and of the city which you have chosen, and of the house which I have built for your name, then you will hear from heaven, from your prepared dwelling place, and you will be merciful to their sins which they have sinned against you, and to all their transgressions by which they have transgressed against you, and you will grant them compassion before their captors." And so the blessed Daniel, having been taught these things, made his prayer turned towards Jerusalem; and not once a day, but he continued doing this three times. And his posture also shows the contrition of his mind. For kneeling on his knees he continued offering his confession to God. While these things were happening thus, those who had become vessels of envy accused Daniel of lawlessness, and they read out the established law, and they bring charges against Daniel and prove the transgression. But the king, on hearing the accusation, was grieved, and becoming an advocate instead of a judge, he tried to show Daniel to be innocent; for the writing indicated this, saying: 14. "Then the king, when he heard the word, was very displeased with himself, and he labored concerning Daniel to deliver him." But those malicious men, who lived with wickedness, knew the king's purpose. For this is what is meant by, "The men made suit to the king;" that is, they understood that he was striving on Daniel's behalf. Then they say to the king: "Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is that every decree and statute which the king establishes must not be changed." You are not, they say, lord to overturn what you have legislated; for the laws of the Medes and Persians command that the laws that are set be fulfilled first by the king. And the king, being compelled both by the supposedly reasonable words and by the multitude of the accusers, hands over to the

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αἰτοῦντες λαμβάνομεν. Ἀλλὰ τὸ φρονεῖν ἀπολέσαντες ἀνατιθέασι τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ τῷ Θεῷ προσήκοντα, πείθουσι δὲ καὶ τὸν ἀνόητον βασιλέα συμψηφίσασθαι καὶ κυρῶσαι τὰ δυσσεβῶς αἰτηθέντα. Ἀλλ' ὁ μακάριος ∆ανιὴλ οὐδὲ βραχὺ τῶν δυσσεβῶν τούτων νόμων φροντίσας, "Εὐθὺς εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὑ τοῦ, φησὶν, εἰσελθὼν, τῶν θυρίδων ἀνεῳγμένων, ἐν τοῖς ὑπερῴοις αὑτοῦ, κατέναντι Ἱερουσαλὴμ τρεῖς καιροὺς τῆς ἡμέρας ἦν κάμπτων ἐπὶ τὰ γόνατα αὑ τοῦ, καὶ προσευχόμενος, καὶ ἐξομολογούμενος ἐναν τίον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καθὼς ἦν ποιῶν ἔμπροσθεν." Ὅρα δὲ πόσα κατὰ ταὐτὸν ὁ λόγος ᾐνίξατο, τοῦ μακαρίου ∆ανιὴλ τὴν εὐσέβειαν καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν μηνύοντα. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ∆ανιὴλ, φησὶν, ἡνίκα ἔγνω, ὅτι ἐνετάγη τὸ δόγμα, "Εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὑτοῦ," τουτέστι, μαθὼν τὸν τεθέντα νόμον, καὶ σφόδρα καταφρονῶν, ἀντικρὺς ἐναντία δρῶν διετέλει· εἶτα καὶ ἕτερον τέθεικεν, ὃ σαφῶς αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀνδρείαν μηνύει· "Αἱ γὰρ θυρίδες, φησὶν, ἀνεῳγμέναι." Οὐ γὰρ κρύβδην, φησὶ, τὰς εὐχὰς ἐποιεῖτο, ἀλλὰ προφανῶς, καὶ πάντων ὁρώντων, οὐ φιλοτιμούμενος, ἀλλὰ τῆς δυσσεβείας τοῦ νόμου καταφρονῶν. Πρόσ κειται δὲ καὶ ἕτερον, ταύτην αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀνδρείαν παραδηλοῦν· "Ἐν γὰρ τοῖς ὑπερῴοις αὑτοῦ." Οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἐπιπέδῳ, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐν περιωπῇ τινι προσέφε ρεν τῷ Θεῷ τὰς εὐχὰς, κατάδηλος ὢν ἅπασι, τῷ τε ἐφ' ὑψηλοῦ ἑστᾶναι, καὶ τῷ τὰς θυρίδας ἀναπε πταμένας ἔχειν. "Ηὔχετο δὲ, φησὶ, κατέναντι Ἱε ρουσαλήμ·" τοῦτο δὲ οὐ μόνον τοὺς κατηγόρους παροξύνων ἐποίει, ἀλλὰ καὶ παλαιὸν νόμον πλη ρῶν. Ὁ γὰρ Σολομὼν τὸν νεὼν ἐκεῖνον δειμάμε νος, καὶ τῶν ἐγκαινίων ἐπιτελῶν τὴν πανήγυριν, προσηύξατο μὲν τὴν θείαν χάριν ἐπικαλούμε νος, καὶ ταύτης πλήρη γενέσθαι τὸν νεὼν ἱκετεύων. Πρὸς δὲ ἑτέροις πλείστοις καὶ τοῦτο προστέθεικε· "Καὶ ἔσται, φησὶν, ἐὰν παραδῷς τὸν λαόν σου ἐν ώπιον τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ αἰχμαλωτεύσουσιν αὐτὸν οἱ αἰχμαλωτίζοντες εἰς γῆν μακρὰν, ἢ 81.1404 ἐγγὺς, καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσι καρδίας αὑτῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ οὗ μετηνέχθησαν ἐκεῖ, καὶ δεηθῶσί σου ἐν γῇ μετοι κίας αὑτῶν, λέγοντες· Ἡμάρτομεν, ἠδικήσαμεν, ἠνομήσαμεν, καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσι πρὸς σὲ ἐν ὅλῃ καρ δίᾳ αὑτῶν, καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ αὑτῶν, ἐν τῇ γῇ τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὑτῶν οὗ μετήγαγες αὐτοὺς, καὶ προσεύ ξωνται πρὸς σὲ ὁδὸν γῆς αὑτῶν, ἧς δέδωκας τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ τῆς πόλεως, ἧς ἐξελέξω, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου, οὗ ᾠκοδόμησα τῷ ὀνόματί σου, καὶ εἰσ ακούσῃ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἐξ ἑτοίμου κατοικητηρίου σου, καὶ ἵλεως ἔσῃ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτῶν αἷς ἥμαρ τόν σοι, καὶ κατὰ πάντα τὰ ἀθετήματα αὐτῶν, ἂ ἠθέτησάν σε, καὶ δῴης αὐτοὺς εἰς οἰκτιρμοὺς ἐνώπιον τῶν αἰχμαλωτευσάντων αὐτούς." Ταῦτα δὲ πεπαιδευμένος ὁ μακάριος ∆ανιὴλ, κατέναντι Ἱερουσαλὴμ τετραμμένος τὴν προσευχὴν ἐποι εῖτο· οὐχ ἅπαξ δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τρὶς τοῦτο ποιῶν διετέλει. Καὶ τὸ σχῆμα δὲ τὴν τῆς διανοίας δείκνυσι συντριβήν. Κάμπτων γὰρ ἐπὶ τὰ γόνατα αὑτοῦ διετέλει τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν προσφέρων τῷ Θεῷ. Τούτων οὕτως γινομένων, οἱ τοῦ φθόνου δοχεῖα γενόμενοι γράφονται παρανομίας τὸν ∆ανιὴλ, καὶ τὸν τεθέντα νόμον ἀναγινώσκουσι, καὶ τόν τε ∆ανιὴλ εἰσαγγέλλουσι, καὶ τὴν παράβασιν ἐξελέγχουσιν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἤλγησε μὲν τῆς γραφῆς ἀκούων, συνήγορος δὲ ἀντὶ κριτοῦ γενόμενος, ἀθῶον δεικνύναι τὸν ∆ανιὴλ ἐπειρᾶτο· τοῦτο γὰρ ᾐνίξατο ἡ συγγραφὴ λέγουσα· ιδʹ. "Τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς, ὡς τὸ ῥῆμα ἤκουσε, πολὺ ἐλυπήθη ἐπ' αὐτῷ, καὶ περὶ τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ ἠγωνίσατο τοῦ ἐξελέσθαι αὐτόν." Ἀλλ' οἱ κακοήθεις ἄνδρες ἐκεῖνοι, καὶ κακουργίᾳ συζῶντες, ἔγνωσαν τὸν τοῦ βασιλέως σκοπόν. Τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τὸ, "Παρῃτή σαντο οἱ ἄνδρες ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα·" ἀντὶ τοῦ, συνῆκαν ὡς τῷ ∆ανιὴλ συναγωνίζεται. Εἶτα λέγουσι τῷ βασιλεῖ· "Γνῶθι, βασιλεῦ, ὅτι τὸ δόγμα Μήδοις καὶ Πέρσαις, τοῦ πάντα ὁρισμὸν καὶ στάσιν, ἣν ἐὰν ὁ βασιλεὺς στήσῃ, οὐ δεῖ παραλλάξαι." Οὐκ εἶ, φασὶ, κύριος, ἃ νενομοθέτηκας ἀνατρέψαι Μήδων γὰρ καὶ Περσῶν οἱ νόμοι παρακελεύονται, τοὺς τιθεμένους νόμους παρὰ πρώτου πληροῦσθαι τοῦ βασιλέως. Βιασθεὶς δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ τε δῆθεν εὐλόγῳ τῶν λόγων καὶ τῷ πλήθει τῶν κατηγόρων, παραδίδωσι μὲν τοῖς